Chem-1 Brazil |
Chem-1 results from many alliances and acquisitions. It starts as a fast follower of commoditized products, but sectoral regulation forced investments in R&D. Chem-1 is a base industry with rigid continuous production processes and there are innovation opportunities in new applications of its products. Innovation management is conducted in a formalized department with clear objectives, budget and stable links with the rest of the organization. |
Chem-2 Overseas |
Company globally recognized for its innovation. Chem-2 dominates technologies that can be combined in different ways, opening opportunities to innovate. Innovation in chem-2 has been consolidated over many decades and there is no centralized team to manage it. |
Chem-3 Brazil |
A spin-off from a big industrial group, based on commodities and a strongly regulated market. Innovation management in the previous company was well institutionalized. Innovation team responds to the technological center, with the central mission of bringing regulatory, normative, knowledge management, IP and prospection issues to the debate. |
Chem-4 Brazil |
Brazilian company, very recognized by a distinct market/distribution model, based on people networks. Innovation is a common value and processes are well consolidated. The vice-presidency of innovation takes several specific responsibilities with regard to culture, competences, academic programs, open innovation efforts, etc. |
Elect-1 Overseas |
A global industrial conglomerate, with many business units (BUs), each one based on specific technology and market. Innovation efforts in BUs are mainly incremental. Radical innovation is conducted at the corporate level by the innovation board, that concatenates external partnerships with the demands/interests of the BUs. |
Elect-2 Brazil |
A group with some BUs that supply electric-based systems for the operation of industrial plants and associated services. Customized products were a good strategy to conquer market share, but currently rethinking volume-variety strategy is necessary to establish as a large-sized organization. An innovation program conducts R&D activities, captures funding and seeks out academic partnerships. |
Elect-3 Overseas |
This company operates on B2C market with strong brands of products. Technology and design play important roles in firm's innovation. Different configurations of Innovation teams marked the last decade, but, finally, a “stable” team had a proper space inside the New Product and Innovation Development Department, mainly after a significant market grew in the late 2000's. |
Elect-4 Brazil |
Brazilian company with global recognition for quality and innovation, that supplies subsystems of Elect-3's products. Captive market is responsible for much of the revenues, but there are notably opportunities for innovation in other markets. The long-term partnership with a local university marks the innovation path. Innovation activities were very fragmented before the innovation team was formally created in 2010. |
Metal-1 Brazil |
After decades of technological learning from foreign sources, Metal-1 became monopolist in many markets, also favored by the global economic context in 2000's. A well-structured technology center was in place for many years, and this scenario funded the creation of a big innovation department, assigned to manage the technological center and also other transverse initiatives of innovation culture, communication, knowledge management, etc. In spite of this, a period of strong contentions directly affected the organizational structure associated with innovation. Metal-1 is an example of strong retrogression of innovation efforts, despite a previous phase of high formalization and power of innovation structures. |
Min-1 Brazil |
A rich and giant commodity company with operations spread over several sites. Although this facilitates access to resources and government support, the organizational structure is notably heavy and imposes special challenges for innovation management. Innovation is focused on processes and distribution operations. |
Telec-1 Brazil |
Telec-1 competes in a very dynamic market in which stability represents a risk. Innovation is focused on new products for B2B context in a highly regulated environment, which reduces the importance of marketing competences. Public procurement represents good opportunities to propel the business. An innovation program was created to make the innovation process more regular and fluent. |
Transp-1 Brazil |
A Brazilian company that has a well-consolidated technological competence. The business is centered on a highly complex product for the B2B market. The so called innovation team born more recently and has focused on innovation efforts such as culture, management tools, new business development. |
Transp-2 Overseas |
Transp-2 represents an industrial sector dominated by subsidiaries of global companies, but very prominent in Brazil of 2000’s, after an important period of consolidation of capabilities in new product development (NPD). Success in this industry had been marked by the practices of operational excellence, which turns into a barrier to introduce a culture of innovation. The technological development is still very dependent on knowledge of the foreign units. |
Transp-3 Overseas |
Transp-3 was responsible for one of the main Transp-2's product subsystems and belonged to the same industrial group. An innovation program was set up in 2008, but, at the time of data collection for this study, was on the verge of establishing a dedicated department. |
Transp-4 Overseas |
Transp-4 competes with Transp-2, but its Brazilian subsidiary is significantly younger. Recent sectoral regulations (which stimulated the siting of local R&D and production activities, partnerships with universities, etc.) was a strong lever for innovation efforts. Transp-4 was on the verge of the creation of an innovation program at the time of data collection. Spread initiatives marked the innovation efforts in previous periods. |